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From: Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: rec tech mower
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2025 17:42:50 -0400
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On 4/15/2025 2:33 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> On Tue, 15 Apr 2025 13:29:16 -0400, Frank Krygowski
> <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> 
>> On 4/15/2025 8:39 AM, AMuzi wrote:
>>> On 4/14/2025 9:48 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
>>> I'm not an expert but there were or are corded electrics as I knew
>>> someone who loved his. Assuming your house is roughly centered on the
>>> lot a 100ft cord would do.
>>
>> I know those exist, but there's no way it would work. I just counted,
>> and there are at least 13 "islands" of landscaping, large trees or other
>> obstacles I have to cut around. They'd require far too much
>> backtracking, etc. if I were dragging a cord.
> 
> Perhaps a robot lawn mower that goes around the trees?
> <https://www.google.com/search?q=robotic%20lawn%20mower&udm=2>
> <https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=robot%20lawn%20mower>

I've been paying attention to the development of those for years. There 
are now a couple models that don't require the buried wire barrier 
systems (like Invisible Fences for dogs), but use some local electronics 
that enhance GPS for precise location. Supposedly one can manually steer 
the mower around the lot and "teach" it where to mow and what to avoid. 
They're quite pricey, though! I've got about 25,000 square feet to mow, 
and the Luba brand capable of that is about $3000. That would get me a 
lot of teenager hours, if I can recruit a new one. Also, its level of 
technology makes me worry about long term reliability.

I had a thought about a simpler alternative that would require far less 
technology. I'm not a guy that wants beautiful lawn stripes, so I 
usually mow by cutting the perimeter clockwise, then working my way 
inward, always straddling the boundary between "that's cut" and "that's 
not cut." Seems that a self propelled mower should be able to do most of 
that on its own, if it could reliably tell the difference between "cut" 
and "not yet cut." The "steering" logic seems pretty simple, based on 
separate drives for the left wheel and right wheel (or perhaps, left and 
right "tank tracks" to handle lawn lumps and holes).

But I haven't been able to dream up a sensor system, especially because 
in dry times, there will be patches that are very non-uniform height. 
(My lawn is a diverse ecosystem, the farthest thing from a putting 
green.) Machine vision could probably do it, but that's very complex.

-- 
- Frank Krygowski